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The state of the atmosphere at the Air Canada Centre (empty platinum seats, overbearing in-house announcements, and let’s be honest, lame comedy on the scoreboard) is lamentable considering what exists at other NHL arenas, notably Montreal, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Boston and New York.

It seems to have morphed into a huge debate — for people really with nothing better to do — about the Leafs goal-celebration songs at the Air Canada Centre.

Last year, the Leafs used this one, the Whip, by Locksley which personally, I didn’t have any problem with.

The Leafs could use a new song, a No. 1 centre, and more quality time with the Red Wings.

Maybe it was too reminiscent of the Chelsea Dagger that is played by the Chicago Blackhawks (my personal favourite).

But let’s back off a bit here, away from anthem rock and techno pop, and take a page instead out of tradition. Because that’s what the Maple Leafs are all about.

Let’s go a different direction, to soccer songs. (Okay, purists, football chants.) The Canadiens get all sorts of admiration for Ole, Ole, Ole. They basically stole that, uh, I mean, borrowed that, from European soccer. A big hit there. Now a big hit in Montreal.

Why don’t the Leafs do the same? There’s an easy one, waiting to be plucked. It’s Here We Go sung to the tune of the middle bits of Stars and Stripes Forever.

They’ve each created their own lyrics. But really, all you have to do is sing “Here We Go” over and over again. Could morph nicely into “Go Leafs Go.”

Trade deadline

We are about a month away from the NHL trade deadline, meaning it’s time for Maple Leafs GM Dave Nonis to decide exactly what kind of team he has and what he intends to do about it.

The Leafs are in a playoff spot, but Nonis has to figure out just how important it is to hold on to it. Does he need to add veteran support to hold on to the spot? Are the kids all right to do it on their own? Or should he stay the course of adding high-end prospects even at the risk of dropping out of the playoff hunt?

One suspects options 2 or 3 is the way he’s going to go, moving out players whose futures are not in Toronto – and that may meaning moving a few pending, valuable free agents – for pieces that have more meaning.

NEEDS: A No. 1 centre. A power forward. Blueliners with playoff experience. Goalie with playoff experience.

Here are some possibilities of player moves.

DEAD WEIGHT: Nonis made an impact almost immediately by moving Matthew Lombardi to Phoenix and sending Tim Connolly to the AHL Marlies. Both had passed their best-before date and were taking spots that were hindering the growth of young players, like Nazem Kadri and Matt Frattin.

Now it’s time to take that to the next level, and find another home for John Michael Liles and Mike Komisarek.

Now it’s true both are veterans whose presence could help a great deal down the stretch and into the playoffs, should the team get that far.

And it’s also true the return won’t be high for either, given the size of their contracts and the fact teams tend not to overpay for the seventh and eighth defencemen on the depth chart.

The value is opening up roster spots for those who deserve them. Jake Gardiner, for example, should be up soon.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: Nazem Kadri, Leo Komarov, Frazer McLaren, Carl Gunnarsson, Cody Franson, Mark Fraser, Korbinian Holzer, Jussi Rynnas. Any or all can be signed at any point by the Leafs. All their salaries are controllable to a certain extent – although a Ryan O’Reilly-type holdout is always possible. All, of course, would have value to other teams and their return could be high. There’s a lot of defencemen on that list, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see one or two be moved. Gunnarsson or Franson would bring the highest return.

UNRESTICTED FREE AGENTS: Clarke MacArthur, Tyler Bozak, Colton Orr, David Steckel, Mike Kostka. An intriguing list to be sure. While Bozak may not be the ideal No. 1 centre, he’d be a fit on any team in the league. MacArthur has value because he can play up or down in the lineup and has leadership skills. Kostka is intriguing because he’s a late bloomer. He can play in the league and won’t likely demand a lot of money. He’d be valuable to any team.

DO A PROMOTION: Jake Gardiner is obviously overdue for promotion. But maybe it’s also time to see what one or two of Joe Colborne, Ashton Carter, Jerry D’Amigo or Jesse Blacker can do at the NHL level. They could only be promoted if a spot opens up.

OUT OF THE BLUE, vers. 1: Would it really be surprising if Nonis decided yes on Bozak and Kadri as his 1-2 punch and decided to move Mikhail Grabovski, who is still valued around the league and to some value-priced at $5.5 million a year? Grabovski paired with an RFA defenceman like Gunnarsson could yield a high return. It would hurt the Leafs playoffs chances this year.

OUT OF THE BLUE, vers. 2: Package both Bozak and Kessel. It would be a franchise changer. The two are friends.

Then there’s Sam Gagner, the intriguing pending restricted free agent with the Edmonton Oilers. He’s got the speed the Leafs like. He’s 23, younger than Bozak. Like Bozak, Gagner’s career is on an upward trajectory. He’s not as big as Bozak. The two have put up similar offensive numbers, but Gagne did it getting largely second- and third-line minutes.

And finally – perhaps saving the best for last—there’s this 6-foot-1, 195 pound player. He’s just 26. His offensive numbers have gotten better each year (27 points, 32 points, 47 points in last three years). He scored more goals that Getzlaf last year. He’s fast, sound defensively and would fit right in with a Randy Carlyle-type team. He’s one of the best in the league at faceoffs, something very important among centremen. He might be available, because the folks that run the team have never seemed quite happy with him. His name? Thought you’d never ask: Tyler Bozak. If the Leafs don’t want him, 29 teams others will.

Kessel the playmaker

Phil Kessel’s goal scoring is down, but his passing is a big part of the reason James van Riemsdyk leads the Leafs in goals.

That doesn’t surprise Leaf coach Randy Carlyle. “With scorers, they’re not just one-dimensional,” said Carlyle. “The talent level those players possess, they read the ice as well as anybody. They draw more people to them usually. I wouldn’t say he’s turned into strictly a playmaker, if you counted the number of posts he’s hit this year and the number of scoring opportunities that he’s had. If those weren’t there, you’d have reason for concern.”

Leafs vs. Red Wings

A lot of folks are hot to trot about the possible return of the Detroit Red Wings to the Eastern Conference, most likely in the same division as the Maple Leafs.

“That’d be great,” said former Leaf captain Wendel Clark. “Used to be a great Friday-Saturday.”

For most of Clark’s early career with the Leafs, the team was in the same division as the Red Wings. Going back to the Original 6 era, it was common for the Leafs to play in Detroit on a Friday night, then both teams trot to Toronto for a Saturday appearance on Hockey Night In Canada.

The Prospect: Ryan Rupert

A shutdown player with some offensive talent makes London Knights centre Ryan Rupert a valuable player for the Maple Leafs going forward.

“He’s an intriguing kid with all kinds of qualities that you want in a hockey player,” said Jim Hughes, the Maple Leafs director of player personnel. “He has a pro mentality when he has the puck. He buys time with the puck. He creates space. He makes plays and has an unpredictable edge.

Ryan, 18, has been used to check many of the league’s top players this season and despite being a terrific checking forward, he’s also put some points on the board.

“He plays on the power play as well as the penalty kill. He has great presence in every game,” Hughes said. “He has a lot of different tools in the tool box.”

Selected in the sixth round (157th) of the 2012 entry draft, the 5-foot-10, 180-pound Rupert and his twin brother Matt are in their third year with the Knights. Ryan had 17 goals and 48 points in 63 games last season with 120 minutes in penalties. In 46 games this season (London plays Windsor Thursday night), he’s scored 11 times and 40 points with 67 minutes in penalties.

Five things to watch

1. COACHING DECISIONS: Injured sniper Matt Frattin is close to returning so coach Randy Carlyle will have some tough decisions. Where does Frattin play and who gets pushed to the sidelines? Logic suggests Frattin will be reunited with sidekick Nazem Kadri so who gets bumped, Clarke MacArthur or Leo Komarov? Whoever does will likely play with Mikhail Grabovski and either Nikolai Kulemin. That leaves Jay McClement centring the fourth line with two of Colton Orr, Mike Brown, Fraser McLaren or David Steckel. But Leafs are also carrying eight defenceman so when Frattin returns they’ll have one too many players so somebody needs to get waived or traded. Interesting times that will get even more interesting when Joffrey Lupul returns.

2. JAMES REIMER: James Reimer is back but can he reclaim the No. 1 spot from Ben Scrivens? He seemed to have regained his confidence and ability before he was sidelined with a knee strain. Can he bounce back again?

3. TOO MANY SHOTS: Only Buffalo, Edmonton, Carolina and Ottawa are allowing more shots per game than Toronto (31.5). Will this trend eventually hurt the Leafs?

4. NAZEM KADRI: Kadri continues to be one of the Leafs’ best forwards game in and game out. But will he hit a wall or continue to enjoy a breakout season?

5. TOP BLUELINERS: The Leaf defence pairing of Mark Fraser and Cody Franson have the league’s best combined plus/minus stat. Is this a mirage or do these two really have the right chemistry?

The week ahead

Saturday: Hmm. The Leafs have nothing to do. One of the few Saturdays when Toronto isn’t playing.

Monday vs New Jersey: The Leafs get their first look at the Devils and possibly won’t have to face goalie Martin Brodeur. He’s missed last three games with a sore back after extending his season record to 8-2-3 with a 3-2 win over Washington a week ago. Until this injury, Brodeur, 40, showed no signs of slowing and has been talking about playing for Canada at next year’s Olympics if asked. Johan Hedberg has lost three straight since stepping in for Brodeur, who won’t come off the injury reserve list until the day before this game in Toronto.

Wednesday vs Ottawa: It’s Round 3 of the Battle of Ontario. The series is even at one win apiece but the last week’s loss in the dying seconds to the Senators in Ottawa still stings. Since losing 3-0 to the Leafs at the ACC, the Senators have won five of six games without Jason Spezza, Erik Karlsson.

Thursday at Boston: The last time Toronto played in Boston it wasn’t pretty. The Leafs lost 8-0, sweeping their six game series so this is a game to exorcise some Beantown demons. The Leafs actually haven’t scored against the Bruins in two games having lost 1-0 at the ACC in their first game earlier this season. It’s another chance for the Bruins faithful to jeer “Thank you Kessel”—although Tyler Seguin hasn’t been lighting it up this season with only three goals.

The ex-Leaf: Viktor Stalberg

Viktor Stalberg, who broke onto the Leaf scene as a wonderfully-gifted skater in 2009, is in arguably the best place in the NHL at the moment: The Chicago Blackhawks.

For an ex-Leaf, or any player with a desire to win it all, the Hawks are the NHL’s top powerhouse — and the league’s best bet at the moment for a Stanley Cup championship.

Stalberg, though, is 27. He’s in the final year of his contract in Chicago. The summer and unrestricted free agency beckons.

The prospect of becoming a free agent for the first time in his career could be a nagging detail for the former Swedish Elite League star, who entered the NHL after signing a two-year entry level deal with the Leafs in April 2009.

On the one hand, he could be in line for a new contract, a multi-year deal, a new beginning with a new team. But Stalberg has found a home that he loves in Chicago. He wants to remain a Blackhawk, and push for a career defining championship.

“It’s hard not to think about sometimes, but you just have to play hard and show them your best side and see what happens,” Stalberg told the Chicago Tribune this week.

“You can’t think about it too much. What matters is this year and what we’re doing with these guys. If this is my last year here, we want to go as far as possible and try to win it this year. That’s the focus.”

Stalberg was the rave of rookie camp in 2009. His skating elevated him above all other prospects and while he opened his career with the Marlies, he joined the Leafs for the 2009-10 season where he played 40 games, with nine goals and five assists.

While Stalberg glittered with skating talent, he needed to forge a role in the NHL. That required acceptance of a less flattering two-way game.

Ultimately, his time in Toronto closed relatively quickly; he was moved to Chicago as a key piece in the Kris Versteeg trade, and signed a two-year, $1.75 million deal with the Hawks.

Staberg is now a third-line player on a very deep Chicago roster. He’s managed four goals this season, but is also seeing time on the powerplay. He’s adapted nicely to coach Joel Quenneville’s plan in Chicago, but his future there is a piece of uncertainty that he must come to terms with after the final game of this season.

Hawks GM Stan Bowman told the Tribune that Stalberg has indeed grown into a solid role player in Chicago. Like Stalberg, though, Bowman is focusing on the present rather than his list of off-season free agents.

It doesn’t seem that long ago that Stalberg was in Toronto, holding strong promise for the future. His favorite athlete was former Leafs captain Mats Sundin — and still is.

It’s likely Stalberg has a future in the NHL beyond this season. Where that future takes him, though, is uncertain.

This week in Leaf history

March 4, 1967: Terry Sawchuk got his 100th shutout on the same night George Armstrong scored his 250th career goal in a 3-0 win over Chicago. Sawchuk kept the game puck. “Usually, you’re so happy to hear the final buzzer on a shutout, you are not interested in the puck,” Sawchuk told the Star back then. “The first 100 shutouts are the toughest.” Armstrong – who kept his puck from Goal 250 -- was happy to share the spotlight. “His 100 shutouts are like a forward scoring 500 goals,” said Armstrong.

The road trip: Boston

No trip to Boston for any lover of sports is complete without a drink or two at The Fours, perhaps the best sports bar in the world. First off, the food is fabulous, and the waiters are pros who take time to learn your name and remember it when you come back. This is not a place overloaded with big screen TVs, but instead loaded with great sports photographs and memorabilia. The conversation about sports is at a high level. There’ll be conversations about the other photographer, the one who missed Bobby Orr’s airborne reaction to his Stanley Cup winning goal. The patrons are not just into Boston sports. They’re as likely to quiz you about Winnipeg Jets trivia as anyone in Winnipeg. If you go, tell Pat or Mike I sent you.

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